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On February 20, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), preodominantly consisting of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), attacked pro-Turkish militant groups in the northern part of the Syrian province of Aleppo.
After a series of firefights SDF unist captured the town of Mariin near the Bab Al-Salamiyah border crossing at the Syrian-Turkish border.
Later at the same day, the so-called “Free Syrian Army”, a coalition of pro-Turkish militant groups, counter-attacked in the area, recapturing the town from the SDF.
Mariin is located near the strategic border town of Azaaz, which is an important logistical hub and a major stronghold of pro-Turkish militants in northern Syria.
The reent escalations between pro-Turkish forces and Kurdish units in Syria are clearly linked to Ankra’s continued efforts to “particiapte” in the ongoing SDF operation near the ISIS stronghold of Raqqah.
